How to deal with SAD (seasonal affective disorder)
When the damp and dreary winter months descend darkly upon you, do you find yourself a little down or depressed? Or perhaps you feel less productive, energetic and creative? Or maybe you are sleeping and eating more?
According to senior researcher Dr Norman E Rosenthal at the US-based National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and author of Winter Blues, answering yes to any of these telling signs may suggest you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This biochemical imbalance, triggered largely by lack of sunlight, makes the jovial Dr Jekyll morph into the hideous Dr Hyde during weary winter months.
It is common to feel a little lazy or lacklustre in winter, but according to clinical psychologist Dr James Courtney from the Australian Psychological Society (APS), SAD is beyond feeling a little blue.
While the condition is rarer in our nation compared to others further from the equator, research shows that approximately one in 300 Australians are affected by SAD. Relationships psychologist Michelle Thomson from Life Resolutions believes many sufferers reside in southern states where there is far less winter sun than summer rays.
“SAD is four times more common in women than men, and the average age of people when they first develop this illness is 23,” she says.
“SAD symptoms usually start in autumn, get worse in winter, ease during spring and disappear by summer. Without treatment, there is a risk of the symptoms becoming more severe, and in extreme cases there is a risk of suicide,” Thomson says.
SAD symptoms include: depression and anxiety; lethargy; overeating, especially carbohydrates and sweets; poor sleep, insomnia or hypersomnia; decreased libido; poor concentration; social withdrawal; and body aches and pains. Symptoms usually reappear each winter, and an official diagnosis is generally made after two consecutive winters.
The scientist knew that the flower housed a gene that made it move in synchronicity with daylight, and according to Collings we all have this gene in our bodies that puts us in a 24-hour rhythm – this is our circadian rhythm or biological clock gene.
“A recent discovery is that light is absorbed through the melanopsin ganglion cells in the eye, which goes through the retina hypothalamic tract (RHT) and into the brain, stimulating the pineal gland,” Collings says. “The light runs through the hypothalamus through a set of neurons called the suprachiasmatic neurons (SCN); they are the clock that regulates your circadian rhythm.”
It all sounds very complicated, but it is really quite simple. The eyes are the windows to the brain; the more we draw back the curtains and welcome light in, the more we stimulate serotonin and supress the misery and melancholy of melatonin.
Intensity of the treatment depends on the power of the light source – expressed as ‘lux’ – and the distance from it. The light used in light therapy is up to 10,000 lux, which is about ten times brighter than a normally lit room.
“Fifteen minutes in front of this blue light represents being out in the sun for two hours,” Collings says.
Potential side effects are minor and rare, and are generally alleviated by altering the light’s intensity and timing of treatment. Research suggests the pros greatly outweigh any cons.
A combination of exercise and light is one of the most effective treatments for SAD, according to US research. A study by Duke University found depressed people who walked for 30 minutes three times a week felt less depressed. So next time you’re feeling a little blue, look to the light and get moving!